Enrichment & Destinations

Enrichment Options

Whilst in our Sixth Form, you will have the opportunity to enrich your time with us and enhance any application you may make to university, employment, or an apprenticeship. We encourage all our students to get curious and try something new, so you can reach your full potential, both in and out of the classroom. Alongside your studies, you’ll take part in at least two 16-19 study programmes, known as our enrichment options. Our aim is to broaden your experiences and give you the opportunity to learn new skills that will help you reach your desired destination beyond our Sixth Form.

Peer Mentoring

Numerous students in the Sixth Form train each year to become peer mentors and work with individuals in the main school helping them with their homework and studies, and being both a role model and a friend when school life might become tough.

Duke of Edinburgh Award

The DofE is the world’s leading youth achievement award, giving millions of 14 to 24-year-olds the opportunity to be the very best they can be. Every year, our students have the opportunity to embark on this wonderfully enriching challenge, venturing to Dartmoor, Brecon, completing charity placements, and even expeditions in Morocco!

Subject Ambassadors

Sixth Form students can opt to be ambassadors in their A Level subjects. This Enrichment Option allows you to go into main school lessons and support the teaching, lead activities, and generally inspire the next generation of Sixth Form students in the subjects they love.

Work Placements

You are encouraged to access an appropriate work experience placement whilst in our Sixth Form. This can be during a focused work experience week, or taken as part of your personal enrichment time. You will work with Bournside’s Careers Team to secure a regular work placement that can be accessed as part of your timetable.

Arts Award and Drama

The Arts Award inspires young people to grow their art and leadership talents: it’s creative, valuable, accessible, and perfect for students who wish to pursue arts beyond Sixth Form. Every year at Bournside, the school puts on a production that runs for 4 nights to sell-out crowds. These wonderful events showcase what Bournside is all about.

Young Enterprise

Taking part in Young Enterprise (a nationwide national competition) allows students with creative entrepreneurial flair to set up and run their own business from here in school. If you are someone with exciting ideas, or can spot gap in a market, then why not pick this option. The aim will be to bring a new concept or service to market, with the aim of making a small profit whilst in competition with county wide schools. Weekly sessions are overseen by Mr Kelly and a local business expert who are on hand to support you through this unique and rewarding experience. This year's team generated a £3000 turnover and £550 profit as a team of 12. The main event for Young Enterprise is the annual Trade Exhibition which takes place in March each year. The team will need to organise a professional looking trade stand and pitch their progress to date to four business experts in a Dragons Den style event. Winners of this County event will go through to the regional final and then onto the Nationals. There are 15 places available on this enrichment option.

Sport and Fitness

Bournside Sports Centre offers an array of top-class facilities so you have the opportunity to take part in a range of competitive and non-competitive sports and recreations as one of your Enrichment Options.

Aspire Programme

Our Aspire Programme offers additional support throughout year 12 and in Terms 1 and 2 in year 13 for students who wish to apply to Oxbridge, study abroad, a course in medicine, dentistry or veterinary science. Students receive tailored support from internal and external experts to help them with early applications to these highly competitive destinations. As well as application mentoring and interview preparation, we run events throughout the year such as hosting guest speakers from Oxbridge and bespoke interview practice. All students are enrolled on the HE+ Programme which is a collaborative programme between the University of Cambridge and its Colleges, working together with groups of state schools and colleges.

The programme provides access to super-curricular activities designed to stretch and challenge the students academically and delivers advice and guidance sessions and study skills support in order to help ensure students make both a successful application and also a successful transition to highly-selective universities.

Preparing you for success

During your Sixth Form years you’ll be making some of the most important choices of your life. Our experienced team will keep you on track with preparation for interviews, mock examinations, personal statements, and applications.

There will be opportunities to attend UCAS conventions, university open days, and to gain interview experience to help you with your next steps. Local employers are very supportive of Bournside and our students and our Careers Team has excellent connections with businesses in key sectors across Gloucestershire and beyond.

We hold a Careers Fair in the autumn, and our annual Destinations Day for Year 12 is an exciting opportunity to gain practical experience and advice with experts in your chosen pathway, be that an apprenticeship, employment, or university. Whichever path is right for you, we will help you find it.

Education for Life Programme

Throughout Years 12 and 13, you will follow an E4L programme delivered by the Sixth Form leadership team and Careers staff to help you aspire high for life beyond Bournside. This varied programme of careers guidance, higher education planning, and life skills looks at all aspects of your future choices from university, to apprenticeships, gap years, and foundation learning programmes.

The timetabled bespoke sessions include presentations from guest speakers, CV preparation, mock job interviews and university interview practice, university skills conferences, visits to careers fairs, and online university sessions. You will also be encouraged to undertake super-curricular reading and work experience to broaden your horizons in preparation for making competitive applications.

Extended Project Qualification

You can choose to complete an EPQ research project, focusing on a theme that you are passionate about. The EPQ experience enables you to further develop skills that complement both your studies and your future education or employment. Completing an EPQ is tremendously rewarding, attracts UCAS points, and looks great on a CV or personal statement.

Destinations

Bournside students go on to secure places across a range of leading universities, degree-level apprenticeships, higher education courses and employment options. Over 90% of students secure places on their first-choice university or higher education course.

Record-breaking results

In 2022 our students achieved record-breaking results. An amazing 11% of A levels were A*s, 17% of students gained three or more A levels at grade A and A*, and 45% gained three or more A levels at grade B and above. The average grade gained was a B. Please visit our website for a full breakdown of results.

Destinations include Aberystwyth, Bath, Bristol, Birmingham, Brighton, Exeter, Derby, Gloucestershire, Hull, Keele, Kingston, Leicester, Leeds, London, Loughborough, Manchester, Nottingham, Oxford, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Reading, Sheffield, Southampton, Swansea, UWE, Worcester and York.

Students have gone on to study a broad range of subjects, including:

• Astrophysics and Space Science
• Business Management
• Biotechnology and Microbiology, Criminology
• Chemistry
• Economics
• English
• Film Production
• Geography
• Illustration
• International Relations and Politics
• Law, Medicine
• Medieval Studies
• Midwifery
• Occupational Therapy
• Pharmaceutical Science
• Physics
• Primary and Early Years Education
• Psychology
• Sociology
• Spanish
• Sport Rehabilitation
• Zoology